A suspected traffic robber arrested by
the police in Lagos State, Biodun Omoyeni, says his gang stole 19 phones
and three laptops from motorists by lying to the victims that the tyres
of their vehicles had deflated.
PUNCH Metro learnt that
22-year-old Omoyeni, who hails from Ibadan, Oyo State, was arrested on
Saturday by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad on the Lekki-Ajah
Expressway during operation.
While Omoyeni was arrested, the other gang member, identified only as Rasaq, 24, reportedly fled from the scene.
The police said the duo usually raised
false alarm that vehicles’ tyres had been deflated; and when motorists
came down to see the damage, one of the gang members would steal
valuables from the cars.
Speaking with PUNCH Metro, Omoyeni said he and four others trained as robbers in the Mushin area before they relocated to the Lekki-Ajah Expressway.
The suspect, who claimed to have gone
into robbery because of joblessness, said he was not an armed robber as
he did not carry any weapon.
He said, “I met Rasaq in Ikorodu. He was
homeless and we had been to four operations together. We stole up to 19
phones in the operations. We always operate in the Ajah area.
“Once there is traffic, we strategise to
operate. My friend would call a motorist that the tyre of his car was
punctured and while he came down, we would steal phones, money, wallets,
and other valuables from the other side of the vehicle through the
window.”
One of the motorists, said to have
fallen for the suspects’ trick, identified only as Eugene, said he
failed to roll up the glasses of his vehicle, adding that they stole
three phones.
PUNCH Metro learnt that one of
the buyers of the stolen phones had also been arrested by the police. It
was gathered that the buyer bought some of the phones for N2,500, and
others for N3,500.
Our correspondent learnt that all the suspects had been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Ikeja.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP
Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the arrest, stating that there would be no
place for criminals in the state.
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